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Why I Won’t Teach My Kids to Be ‘Color Blind’
When it comes to teaching kids about race, I lean towards the idea that acknowledging differences is better than pretending they don’t exist. It’s important to help them understand that people come in all different colors and that recognizing these differences is not just normal—it’s something to celebrate.
I remember a conversation I had with a bunch of parents all raising 3-year-olds. We were tackling how to make our kids aware of diversity without shying away from the uncomfortable truths about racism and prejudice. As a white (okay, light brown) guy in a room filled with various skin tones, I felt a bit awkward. At one point, someone chimed in with the well-known phrase, “We’re all the same!” It sounded nice, but then someone else pointed out, “But we’re not.” That hit home.
Trying to raise kids with a “color blind” approach does them a disservice. It’s not about ignoring our differences; it’s about learning to respect and appreciate them. Sure, labeling people can sometimes lead to grouping, but the reality is that we all have unique traits, backgrounds, and experiences that shape who we are. While everyone deserves equal rights and love, we shouldn’t overlook the beauty in our differences.
During that discussion, we also touched on how historically, society has tended to categorize people based on race and skin color. But skin tone is just one small part of a much larger picture. For my kids, I explain that while we might all appear “white” in some respects, the nuances of our skin tones tell a richer story.
Not too long after that discussion, I took my youngest daughter to the grocery store, and she pointed to a man in line saying, “Why is he purple?” I felt a bit embarrassed, but the man just smiled and replied, “I like that! Sweetheart, that’s how God made me.” It made me realize that the colors we see in each other are a wonderful part of life.
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In summary, teaching our kids to embrace differences rather than ignore them is vital. It encourages respect and understanding in a world that often tries to oversimplify complex issues like race.